RSPCA call for changes at Festival

THE RSPCA have said the number of runners in races at Cheltenham should be reviewed after six horses were fatally injured at last week’s Festival.

The British Horseracing Authority, who announced a review on Friday, confirmed they would be liaising with the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare.

Three of the four horses to die on Friday — Dresden, North Hill Harvey and Some Plan — suffered their injuries in the 22-runner Grand Annual Chase. Mossback, Report To Base and Sandsend also perished.

The Festival has seen 17 equine deaths in three years.

RSPCA equine consultant David Muir said: ‘We cannot carry on having this sort of number of horses fatally injured without at least making the effort to look at everything.

‘It has to be comprehensive and specifically numbers (of runners) may come into it.’

The RSPCA call for a review was echoed by World Horse Welfare who said in a statement: ‘None of these fatalities can be accepted as a by-product of the sport.

After jockey Richard Johnson was suspended for seven days and fined £6,550 for breaching whip regulations on Gold Cup winner Native River, Muir also called for further change to the whip rules.

He said: ‘We believe the use of the whip and the term encouragement needs to be clearly defined, and our view is that the whip should only be used for safety and correction.’